Walker’s Road residents on eviction notice

Their removal from the property, owned by the Ministry of Housing, is to make way for the construction of a Type IV comprehensive health centre by the government.

Preparatory work is slated to commence August, four months from now, on the $489 million project to be completed in two years.  

Speaking Tuesday at the official opening ceremony of the Old Harbour Fire Station, Member of Parliament Everald Warmington said he is unsure if the notices have been served already.

The serving of the notices falls under the responsibility of the St Catherine Municipal Corporation, he said.

Councillor of Old Harbour Central Division Steve Graham (JLP), told Old Harbour News afterwards that the eviction notices are yet to be served.

Approximately 20 homes, all wooden structures, are on the property and will be impacted by the ultimatum that is pending.

Warmington though noted that consideration will be taken into account in finding alternate locations for the residents.

“There’s a lot of structures there that I came and saw many years ago but I want to say to my brothers and sisters all of those lots will be needed by the government for the improvement and provision of the new health centre,” he said at the grounds of the fire station, which abuts the referenced land. “So I hope you will corporate with us when the time comes. We might have to find some way to relocate you but those areas will have to be made available.”

Just a tier below hospital status, the health facility will cover that entire parcel of land behind the Old Harbour Lions Civic Centre all the way to Walkers Road, bordering the fire station and the Jamaica Bedding factory.

Asburn Stone is one of the settlers who will be affected by this latest development. He told Old Harbour News that the community is amenable to relocating elsewhere but will need financial assistance during the process.

“Mi no ting wi av any problem still if wi affi move,” he said. “Di only ting is all dem money de weh wi spen up and bil up wi place, we ago need back dem money de stil.”

It was observed during a brief tour of the area yesterday by Old Harbour News that several homes were properly constructed with a few even boasting regularized electricity.

Stone said he has been living at the premises for some 16 years and informed OH News that he recalled some residents, including his mother use to pay lease to the “Parish Council”, now rebranded as the municipal corporation.

That arrangement, he said, no longer obtains, as the representative who used to collect payments on behalf of the local governing authority has not been seen in many years.